Quote (txO4 @ Jul 2 2011 03:31pm)

$5 mil dollar signing bonus for a 16 yr old o_o

Quote (Basement @ Jul 7 2011 07:39am)

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers announced the signing of Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara to a 2012 contract. ESPNDeportes.com had the record bonus at a little more than $5 million.

Mazara took some swings in batting practice as a large contingent of club officials looked on, including general manager Jon Daniels, CEO Nolan Ryan, manager Ron Washington and even slugger Josh Hamilton. Rangers hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh threw BP to Mazara, who hit balls to all fields and showed some power.

A couple of scouts shared their thoughts on Mazara. He projects as a left-handed, power corner outfielder with a good arm (he throws left-handed) and average speed. He's 6-foot-4 and around 195 pounds and when the Rangers first saw him as a 14-year-old, he was 6-1 and 180. So he's growing at a pretty fast rate.

Since Mazara signed a 2012 contract, he's not eligible to compete in the Dominican Summer League now. So he'll go back to the Rangers' Dominican Republic academy in Boca Chica and participate in some non-sanctioned games, sort of like instructional league. He'll return in September to Instructional League in the states and begin his professional career in the Rangers' pipeline. Mazara will come to spring training next year and then be sent out, probably to either Class A Hickory or Spokane.

"You can see him growing, might even be a left-handed Juan Gonzalez," Washington said. "He showed some bat speed for a 16-year-old kid. He attacks the baseball. He showed the ability to hit it to all fields. What was impressive is when he took a bad swing, he'd make an adjustment the next swing. That shows he has a feel but he's only 16."

Mazara played for the Dominican in the RBI World Series in Florida last August and his club won the Junior Division. He was signed by Rangers scout Rodolfo Rosario.

"We're looking for corner bats and we feel like he's very projectable with a body that will only grow," said Mike Daly, Rangers director of international scouting.

A.J. Preller, the senior director of player personnel, was quick to bring up Mazara's makeup as one reason the club believes he can mature quickly into an impact player.

"He loves the game and works extremely hard," Preller said. "The day after we signed him, he was up a long time and it was pretty tiring and he was back out there hitting balls. He can't get enough. He's got great work ethic. He's just a good kid and has an appreciation for the game."

Quote

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A male fan has died after falling over the outfield railing and landing on the concrete behind the out-of-town scoreboard at the Rangers Ballpark during the second inning of Thursday's game between the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that the man who fell has passed away as a result of this tragic accident," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

The Rangers closed the clubhouse after their 6-0 win.

The left-field wall is 14 feet high and the fan went over the railing, which is a few feet higher, for an approximately 20-foot drop.

The unidentified fan, wearing a blue Rangers cap and white Rangers shirt, was seated in the front row and, according to others seated near him, was yelling at Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton for a foul ball that was hit by Conor Jackson and landed on the field. Hamilton flipped the ball toward the fan and the fan leaned over, caught it and toppled over in the gap between the railing and the back of the scoreboard on the left-field fence.

"I tried to grab him, but I couldn't," said Ronnie Hargis, a 50-year-old from Hawley, Texas, who was sitting beside the falling fan. "I tried to slow him down a little bit. He went straight down."

Hargis said he was chatting with the fan earlier in the game and that he was a firefighter from Brownwood, but didn't know his name.

Several fans, including Safawna Dunn, said paramedics quickly got to the fan and took him off in a stretcher.

"He was conscious," Dunn said.

The Rangers had released a statement saying the man was taken to John Peter Hospital.

The incident comes one year and one day after a fan fell from the club level and landed in the lower deck, a 30-foot drop. That man, Tyler Morris, was taken to a local hospital after the game was stopped for 16 minutes to get him out of the stadium. Morris, coincidentally a firefighter as well, suffered a fractured skull and sprained ankle and went home two days after his fall.

Thursday's fall is the third by a fan over one of the railings. The first was April 11, 1994, after the Rangers' first home game in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Hollye Minter, a 28-year-old from Plano, Texas, posed for a photograph and fell from a railing in right field. She landed on empty seats and, according to various reports, broke her arm, two ribs and a few bones in her neck.

Club officials said the railings were raised after that game from 30.5 inches to 46 inches in the upper and lower areas of the park.

Quote (Magnet @ Jul 7 2011 10:16pm)

sad

Quote (txO4 @ Jul 10 2011 02:55am)

With 2 outs and down by a run, Hambone slams a 2run walkoff

He should kill people more often! (jk!)

Quote (Magnet @ Jul 10 2011 01:34am)

We signed another 16 year old outfielder, 3.5 million.

Leonys martin was promoted to AAA, Guy was raping AA

.348 4 HR 24RBI 10SB